President Adama Barrow, from May 16th to 20th, 2026, launched the Connect Gambia Infrastructure Projects and officially inaugurated a road expansion project targeting over 700km of paved roads across the Upper River and Central River Regions (URR and CRR) respectively. This extensive rural road network is designed to end decades of isolation for farming communities, providing critical year-round access to markets, healthcare, and vital community amenities.
The President laid foundation stones for critical feeder roads, including the Jimara-Julangel route, the Niani - Nyangabantang route; the Kantora route - Suduwol- route, and the Niani - Jarumeh Koto route among others. The roads are designed to provide agricultural producers with unrestricted access to major commercial centres and market supply chains, directly supporting the country's efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency.
Residents of long-isolated settlements will now have year-round, unobstructed access to vital services like hospitals, clinics, and education facilities, particularly during the rainy season.
President Adama Barrow during the laying of the foundation in CRR, said many people previously argued that the roads he started constructing would not be completed. However,l those roads are completed and inaugurated.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"They are now saying that those roads are not properly constructed but they are using them. I want to tell the people of CRR that all the roads that have been started will be completed in due time," he said.
He said for over fifty years the people of Niani have never benefited from road infrastructure but with his ten years of governance he can do so. "The promise I gave to the people of Niani is now fulfilled."
The Chief of Niani District, Central River Region, Mr Pierre Bah, said that since Niani was established they have never benefited from road infrastructure.
"With all our participation in politics, we haven't benefited the way we are now benefiting. We are grateful to Barrow's administration when it comes to infrastructure development," he stated.
Mrs Adam Ndow, the women leader in Wassu Village, said the President has connected communities within CRR South and also eased their movement.
"As of now, the 30-year-old has fired a lot from this government but we still need gardens and water because during the dry season, we don't have any economic activity but if we get gardens and enough water we will be able to do other economic activities during the dry season," she said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Mr Kebba Touray, another community leader in Wassu, said in CRR that they don't have much to ask for because President Barrow has brought a lot of development to the region especially when it comes to road infrastructure.
"We need a Skill Centre for our youths, especially those who drop out of school. Most youths fled the region to other regions because they don't have any centre where they can acquire skills," he said.
Touray said if Skills Centres are established within their region their youths will not live in the region they will stay and empower themselves.
